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Samuel Prowse: Man Time

Man Time is an online comic created by Samuel Prowse, chronicling the everyday adventures of transgender men. In an accessible, lighthearted fashion, it shows scenes that may be either relatable or unfamiliar, depending on the reader’s experiences.

Not everyone knows from experience what it is like to transition or be a transgender man, but comics like Man Time make it possible for everyone to have a glimpse into such a world. For many transgender readers, the humor comes from the fact that they’ve likely encountered similar situations. For readers who aren’t trans, it offers great jokes and plenty of “Oh, I never would have thought of that,” moments.

In his blog’s description, Prowse aptly sets the tone for his work. “We’re drowning in a sea of serious conversations and controversy about trans issues. I just want everyone to laugh.” And this is certainly a comic that promotes laughter.

Even in a funny comic like this, there are times where Prowse confronts more difficult subjects that surround being a trans man. From there, it’s up to readers to learn from these comics and incorporate a sense of understanding and acceptance in their own lives.

For those more unfamiliar with the terminology surrounding transgender people, here is a list of words to add to your vocabulary:

Sex: The classification of an individual as male or female, based on their anatomy at birth.

Gender: The classification of an individual as male, female, or other, depending on one’s chosen gender identity.

Gender identity: The part of a person’s self-image, as it pertains to gender. This is something that is separate from an individual’s sex, and is more about how a person feels about themselves. The way that an individual perceives their gender–whether it means being masculine, feminine, neither, or both–falls under gender identity.

Transgender: This describes people whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth. The shorthand, more casual form of this word is “trans.” This word can also be used an an umbrella term for those who do not conform to societal expectations of gender identity or to their assigned sex at birth.

Transgender man: This is a person who is transgender, and who identifies as a man.

Transgender woman: This is a person who is transgender, and who identifies as a woman.

Gender dysphoria: An experience in which an individual feels that their biological sex does not align with their gender identity.

Transition: A process that begins when an individual decides to begin living as the gender they identify as, and not the gender which they were assigned at birth. This typically means dressing differently, using different pronouns, and changing one’s given name. Sometimes, it also means taking hormones, undergoing surgery, or changing legal documents to match one’s chosen name.